Resslin Around

This is one of the toughest columns Ive ever written, but also one Ive been ready to write for some time now. See, this is the last column Ill have on these sports pages.

Starting next week, Im switching positions here at the Frontiersman, and leaving the sports desk. Ill be taking over a new Valley Life section, a more in-depth feature section about the people and places of the Mat-Su Valley. Its a move Im ready for, but with some hesitation.

For 3-1/2 years, Ive covered the sports of the Valley, and I wouldnt trade those years for anything. I feel like Ive grown, both as a person and as a writer, in that time, and I could not have done it without the help of a lot of people. My job has taken me around the state several times over, and with those travels came plenty of new friendships Ive made and treasure.

Ive been privileged to see some of the most compelling games in recent years, to be a part of some incredible teams and to be a part of the sports landscape the Valley has embraced. It was a very fun ride, but a ride Im ready to get off after nearly four years.

Many athletes and games stick out in my mind, but a few were truly the most memorable for me. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the job was covering the 1997 Mat-Su Miners, a team nobody thought could win that eventually won the NBC World Series. Spending a summer covering that team was perhaps the most enjoyable time on the job.

Another great team to watch was this years Wasilla football team. Like those 1997 Miners, everybody knew they were good, but nobody had them pegged as the best. The Warriors advanced all the way to the championship game behind a down-to-earth coach, a set of twins, a mammoth offensive line, a running back who shouldered more emotional weight in a season than most of us will in a lifetime and a quarterback who was more of a jester and joker than a team leader. It was fun to watch them grow for two years into a team that was as formidable as any.

Covering three Iditarods was another highlight for me. I met a lot of people I would never have normally met, and developed a deep respect for the men and women who can say they have run the race to Nome.

Last years state championship basketball game between Colony and Palmer was by far the greatest single game Ive ever seen. The most improbable ending imaginable was fun to be a part of.

With those fond memories behind me, Im ready for a switch for several personal reasons. The biggest reason is that I will actually get to spend time with my wife, Tracy, something that is nearly impossible when you spend most of your evenings and weekends on the sidelines around the Valley. Im looking forward to spending my time with her, and weve just learned we will be parents in about seven months. As we grow as a family, free time becomes more and more precious.

You can bet Ill still show up at many of the sporting events around the Valley. Thats in my blood, and something Ill never really leave. But now Ill do it as a spectator, something Ive envied for a while. Im sure our new sports editor, Lew Pumphrey, will have just as much fun I did getting to know everyone.

Thank you for making the last 3-1/2 years so enjoyable and memorable. New challenges and adventures await, but nothing will ever come close to matching the time Ive spent bringing you the sports news twice a week.

Thanks for the memories.

Casey Ressler (ressler@alaska.net) is the Frontiersman sports editor, but only for another week.